The Philippines recorded additional 4,578 COVID-19 cases on 12 March, the highest daily number of infections in the recent six months, according to the country’s Department of Health.

Health workers conduct COVID-19 testing (Photo: www.cnnphilippines.com)

The new cases brought the national tally to 611,618, with a death toll of 12,694.

The recent spike in COVID-19 cases prompted Manila capital to adopt shorter curfew hours until the end of this month.

On the same day, the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology of Indonesia said the country documented 48 COVID-19 patients infected with the coronavirus variant originated from South Africa.

The Ministry of Health said that Indonesia logged the first two cases of the B.1.1.7 variant from the UK on 2 March, one year since the government announced the first confirmed COVID-19 infections.

Indonesia reported 5,633 cases on 11 March, raising the country’s total COVID-19 tally to nearly 1.4 million as of 11 March.

Fatalities stood at 37,932 while total recoveries were over 1.21 million.

Source: VNA